Planning

[box]Editor’s Note: Ed McMahon is one of the country’s most incisive analysts of planning and land use issues and trends. He holds the Charles Fraser Chair on Sustainable Development and is a Senior Resident Fellow at the Urban Land Institute in Washington, DC. McMahon is a frequent speaker at conferences on planning and land development. Over the past 21 years, we’ve been pleased to have published more than two dozen articles by McMahon in the Planning Commissioners Journal, and now on PlannersWeb.com.[/box]

There are over 25,000 incorporated communities in America. How many of these are truly successful?

How is it that some small towns and rust belt cities are prospering, while many others are suffering disinvestment, loss of identity, and even abandonment?

Why are some communities able to maintain their historic character and quality of life in the face of a rapidly changing world, while others have lost the very features that once gave them distinction and appeal?

How can communities, both big and small, grow without losing their heart and soul?

From coast to coast, communities are struggling to answer these questions. After working in hundreds of communities in all regions of the country, I have come to some conclusions about why some communities succeed and others fail.There are many communities that have found ways to retain their small town values, historic character, scenic beauty and sense of community, yet sustain a prosperous economy. And they’ve done it without accepting the kind of cookie-cutter development that has turned many communities into faceless places that young people flee, tourists avoid and which no longer instill a sense of pride in residents.

Every “successful” community has its own strengths and weaknesses, but they all share some common characteristics. It’s clear for instance that successful communities involve a broad cross-section of residents in determining and planning the future. They also capitalize on their distinctive assets — their architecture, history, natural surroundings, and home grown businesses — rather than trying to adopt a new and different identity.

A study by the universities of Washington and Maryland researchers adds further weight to the notion — now confirmed in many studies — that smart growth (higher density, mixed-use, walkable urban form) significantly reduces vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The study, published in Transport and Land Use, emphasizes that reducing block sizes is a more important factor than density and mixed-use in some cases. The study looked at subareas of the Washington DC, Seattle, Baltimore, Richmond VA, and Norfolk VA metro areas. http://bettercities.net/article/block-size-not-just-density-key-cutting-auto-travel-19311

This year’s award recognizes four winners and three honorable mentions in four categories:

Overall Excellence in Smart Growth (Winner): The BLVD Transformation — Lancaster, California
A dilapidated downtown corridor has been transformed into a lively, mixed-use district through investments in the streetscape, housing, and business development, bringing jobs, economic growth, and community revitalization.

Main Street or Corridor Revitalization (Winner): The Cooperative Building — Brattleboro, Vermont
A new, energy-efficient, multi-story building with a food co-op, affordable apartments, and innovative, money-saving environmental features has contributed to the vibrancy of Brattleboro’s Main Street.

Programs and Policies (Winner): Destination Portsmouth — Portsmouth, Virginia
A comprehensive overhaul of development and land use regulations has begun to realize the community’s vision for a livable and pedestrian-friendly city while providing additional opportunities for economic development and reinvestment.

Equitable Development (Winner): Mariposa District — Denver, Colorado
A community-oriented master plan strengthens a transit-accessible, diverse Denver neighborhood through the construction of affordable housing, health improvements, and services for residents.

Main Street or Corridor Revitalization (Honorable Mention): Larkin District — Buffalo, New York
The rehabilitation of a warehouse building and public spaces has sparked widespread revitalization and redevelopment of a mixed-use district that reconnects a historic neighborhood to the rest of the city.

Equitable Development (Honorable Mention): Northwest Gardens — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
After decades of disinvestment, a downtown neighborhood has become a robust, sustainable, self-sufficient community with affordable homes, workforce training, community gardens, and civic pride.